Tagged as northern california

RSS

Collective Bargaining, Safeway

Grocery Workers Converge in Northern California to Support Good Jobs and Health Care

Apr 04, 2012 (0) Comments

Grocery and department store workers from across Northern California came together last week to rally in support of good jobs and affordable health care.

Workers from Raley’s, Safeway, Save Mart, and Macy’s, joined retired workers, union leaders, political and community supporters including State Controller John Chiang to rally for good grocery jobs and to support efforts to reach an equitable agreement with Raley’s, Safeway and Save Mart.

Members in UFCW Local 5’s grocery division have been trying to come to a consensus with their employers over wages and benefit costs since their contract expired in October 2012. Their efforts have been stymied by management’s emphatic demands for massive takeaways in working conditions, pay rates and medical benefits for active employees and retirees.

Meanwhile, Macy’s Northern California furniture store workers are in talks for a first contract.

As UFCW Local 5 President Ron Lind put it, “Northern California grocery workers are some of the hardest working people in the country. Every benefit they have earned over the years has been hard won. We want to let the public know that if the companies think they can slash the wages and medical benefits for active members and retirees without a fight they are wrong.”

It’s great to see such unity from workers and the community in Northern California – keep up the great work!

Collective Bargaining

Raley’s Refusal to Extend Contract During Bargaining Jeopardizes Northern California Jobs

Mar 30, 2012 (0) Comments

UFCW Local 5 is extremely concerned about the increasingly aggressive approach Raley’s is taking at the bargaining table in Northern California. Negotiations have been ongoing since October and have yet to completely resolve the very complicated issues of affordable health care, compensation and the availability of full-time employment. Raley’s recently announced to the Sacramento Bee that it had no intention of signing a contract extension with Local 5 because the union “had no interest in reaching a settlement.”

“Nothing could be further that the truth,” said Local 5 President Ron Lind, “We understand the company’s concerns about the difficult economic environment in which they operate and have proposed constructive and creative solutions that would address those concerns. Those efforts continue to be met with draconian proposals to undercut decades of progress for grocery workers while throwing thousands of them into poverty by eliminating their affordable healthcare.”

“Local 5 will continue bargaining for as long as it takes to reach an agreement that protects the interests of our members Unfortunately, the recent reckless actions of the company call into question their willingness to do the same. It’s disappointing to see that they are interested in confrontation instead of finding a middle ground,” said Lind.

The union is preparing to schedule special meetings with workers from Raley’s and Nob Hill, a company subsidiary. At those meetings, members will be updated on the progress of the talks and possibly be asked to authorize a strike, Lind said.

Grocery Workers United will continue to update you with the latest news on negotiations in Northern California.